I walked into Smedley's Bar & Grill. It might as well have been a time capsule -- back to the days when classic rock ruled and people partied like it was the 1970s.

At least that's how Kenny described it. I ran into the long-haired biker and ex-Marine while waiting in line for the men's room.

Within minutes, we were doing shots of Jack at the bar and he was telling me about how it used to be in the bar scene -- before celebrity chefs and artisan beers became the craze.

It's still like that at Kamm's Corners.

The West Side entertainment district that runs along Lorain Avenue near the intersection of Rocky River Drive in Cleveland's West Park neighborhood might not be as trendy as West 25th Street, East Fourth Street or Cleveland's Tremont neighborhood -- but it's enjoying a revival because it isn't trendy. It's where you can do shots or have a beer or a bite with people you feel comfortable with.

"Kamm's Corners is blue collar and casual, and has more of a neighborhood vibe than a lot of the trendier areas," says Patrick Campbell, owner of P.J. McIntyre's Irish Pub. "You can go to West 25th or Tremont and get a couple beers for $10, or you can come to Kamm's and get four for the same price."

A cheap, good time amid a tough economy is Kamm's calling card. The bars and restaurants in the district offer more deals than a used-car salesman, starting at Happy Hour and running until closing time.

"It's really given us an identity," says Campbell.

That and the whole Irish thing. Lorain Avenue has long been known as the Green Mile for all its Irish bars.

That's what inspired Campbell to open P.J. McIntyre's.

"I picked up a bunch of ideas while working as a dancer for Michael Flatley's 'Lord of the Dance' troupe," says Campbell, a graduate of St. Edward High School and John Carroll University. "I wanted to do something that would fit the vibe of the Irish neighborhood."

An oncoming recession almost killed the vibe when the bar opened in 2007.

"Kamm's was basically just Public House and a couple other places," says Campbell, referring to the Kamm's stalwart bar and grill. "Then came West Park Station, then P.J. McIntyre's, Back Stage and more -- and we all came together with this idea to give people a place to have a good time even if the economy is bad."

It isn't just the prices. The proximity of the bars mean you don't have to crawl far to get from one joint to another.

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